10 reasons to watch UFC Fight Night 32

It’s been seven years since Dan Henderson outpointed Vitor Belfort under the now-defunct PRIDE banner, and Belfort will get a chance to avenge that loss when they meet at UFC Fight Night 32, which takes place Saturday at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Goias, Brazil, and marks the promotion’s seventh trip to the country in 2013. The event’s main card airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on MMAjunkie.com.

While no one was particularly clamoring for a second meeting, ex-champ Belfort’s star continues to shine in Brazil, where he’s fought in three of his past four fights, and a win over Henderson could open the door to a meeting with the winner of a title rematch between champ Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva.

Leading into the fight, Belfort is a 2-to-1 favorite in most betting lines to avenge his loss, which was not overturned by the overseeing Nevada State Athletic Commission despite his positive post-fight test for a steroid. Many see that failure as a catalyst for the fighter’s current predicament as a recipient of testosterone-replacement therapy.

After that first meeting with Henderson, Belfort found new life in the middleweight division and blazed a trail that was stopped only by former champ Anderson Silva. If he’s successful on Saturday, he might get another chance to win a UFC belt.

While there’s nothing to suggest Henderson won’t attempt to recreate his winning performance in the first fight, the rematch could be an entertaining scrap.

1. Does the old man still have it? Two years ago, Dan Henderson (29-10 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was at the peak of a dream renaissance in his career. He had won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title, knocked out Fedor Emelianenko, and returned to the UFC for a “Fight of the Year” winner opposite against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. In his past two outings, however, the 43-year-old Henderson hasn’t looked quite as spry. Maybe it’s the opposition he’s faced – Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans weren’t exactly eager to meet him in the middle of the cage and tempt one of his “H-bombs.” But it also might be that father time is finally catching up to the former two-division PRIDE champ, and if he loses against Vitor Belfort (23-10 MMA, 12-6 UFC), a former opponent who seems to have gotten faster as he’s aged, it will be hard to argue he’s not long for this MMA world.

2. Young dinosaur, old wish. He’s piped down as of late, but not long ago, you couldn’t get through a UFC event without hearing from Vitor Belfort. The 36-year-old fighter wanted a middleweight title shot, deserved a middleweight title shot, and wouldn’t give up until he got it. When Anderson Silva was champ, that was the longest of long shots. But with the belt now around the waist of Chris Weidman, Belfort has been declared the No. 1 contender, as long as he can get past Henderson, who roundly beat him when they first met. In that fight, he had nary a chance to throw a spinning wheel kick, as Henderson’s wrestling was the dominant force. Will things be different this time around, and will Belfort finally get his wish?

3. All-TRT headliner. Harping, yes. But it’s not so small an asterisk to note that UFC Fight Night 32’s headliner represents the first where both competitors are known users of testosterone-replacement therapy. It’s a safe bet that we won’t be seeing this anywhere in the near future, if ever.

4. The real “TUF: Brazil” finale. Belfort protege Cezar Ferreira (6-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) surpassed expectations on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” and won the reality-show’s finale with a lackluster decision over Sergio Moraes. He didn’t, however, face the challenge he was supposed to. Moraes got the call when the man who knocked him out, Daniel Sarafian (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), was forced to withdraw due to injury. Since then, Sarafian has gone 1-1 in his post-TUF career, and Ferreira put away the unheralded Thiago Santos. A fight will crown the show’s moral victor.

5. Light heavyweight leaves town. After initially being hyped as a protege of Anderson Silva, the career of Rafael Cavalcante (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has been a mixed bag. He won the Strikeforce belt only to lose it, then tested positive for steroids, and then got knocked out by Thiago Silva in his UFC debut. Igor Pokrajac (25-10 MMA, 4-5 UFC), a protege of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, hasn’t quite delivered on expectations, either. He’s mostly built other fighters, and were it not for a positive drug test, he would have three losses on his recent record. Needless to say, Cavalcante and Pokrajac’s bout could be the last chance for them to turn things around.

6. Thatch’s budding star. When Brandon Thatch (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) decimated Justin Edwards, he not only picked up his first UFC win, but delivered his ninth straight first-round finish. The impressiveness of that performance clearly convinced matchmakers to steepen his learning curve. Paulo Thiago (15-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) has faced almost nothing but top competition and hung with some of the welterweight division’s best. Thatch could be in over his head, or could be on the verge of another starmaking performance.

7. “Fight of the Night” watch. “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” winner Rony Jason (13-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) remains unbeaten since winning the reality show, and Jeremy Stephens (21-9 MMA, 8-8 UFC) is now a legit 145-pound fighter after making his debut at featherweight earlier this year. Stephens is perpetually underrated as a fighter, and Jason hasn’t exactly faced the most technically gifted opponents. This could be a slugfest.

8. Chuck those arms, Sicilia. You’ve got to admire a guy who pretty much says he’s opposed to gameplans on the basis that they interfere with a desire to throw punches until his opponent falls down. Sam Sicilia (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is going to do the same thing he always does in a rescheduled fight with “TUF: Brazil” featherweight runner-up Godofredo Pepey (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), and like Jason vs. Stephens, it has quick, action-filled fight written all over it.

9. The return of Tavares. Brazilian Thiago Tavares (17-5-1 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) has been up and down in his 13 fights in the UFC, but he almost never fails to deliver excitement. That’s not to say his recent suspension for steroids should be ignored, but a fighter with his talent should be allowed a second chance, and a bout with Justin Salas (11-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) offers an opportunity at redemption.

10) Detroit Rock City. With a recent win over veteran Yves Edwards under his belt, striking specialist Daron Cruickshank (13-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is on the upswing, and while he’s miles away from a title shot, a fight with Adriano Martins (24-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is another chance to build momentum. Martins is still relatively unknown to most fans, having won a unanimous decision over Jorge Gurgel in the final Strikeforce event. But he showed himself willing to stand and trade with the UFC vet, and against Cruickshank, that could lead to fireworks.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.